Half-Life 2

First let me say I've had the "valve pack complete" for like a year, but haven't played anything.

I just started playing "half life 2" and my god this game OWNS!

Few questions: There are a million "half life" versions in the valve pack. Can anyone (with like an hour on their hands) run down what all the half life versions are? There are literally like 10 half life games.

PS: How bad is it that I'm playing half life 2 before half life 1? (Can anyone give me a 10 second review of half life 1? What happened storywise that I should know?)

PS 2: I also have all the counterstrike games. Are the counterstrike games like half life? As in, storyline etc, or are they all multiplayer FPS?

Ok, let me try best to run down half-life for you. I've played and beaten every game in the series so I think i'm qualified.

Half-life 1 might actually be the best in the series, despite having the most dated graphics. Blue Shift and Opposing Forces are expansions that portray the same events of Half Life 1 but from the prospective of different characters. They were made by gearbox, not valve, and it kind of shows. Half-life 2's story is great especially toward the end but becomes particularly powerful in episode 2.

The story changes quite a bit between half-life 1 and 2 so you are fine playing half-life 2 first (in fact that's how I played the games). Half-life 2, half-life 2 ep1, and ep 2 go in chronological order and each one picks up where the last left off. Lost Coast is a tech demo and is only about an hour and has no real story. Half-Life: Source is a graphically updated version of Half-life 1 using the source engine (basically has better water effects, but is the same game). Deathmatch source is the same deal, graphically better version of half-life 1 deathmatch (playable after launching half-life 1). HL2 deathmatch is a multiplayer deathmatch game using levels from HL2.

DId I get everything? If you have any more questions, feel free to ask or pm me.

half life 1: , you are a scientist, gordon freeman. in this facility called black mesa and aliens start pouring in from another demension. you need to surviveBlue shift: you are a security gaurd for black mesaOpposing force: you are a marine venturing into black mesaHalf life 2: you are gordan freeman again and you are seeing the aftermath of the gloomy world ruled by the combine, after the "incident" in half life 1Half life 2 episode 1: you are gordan freeman trying to escape the rule of the combineHalf life 2 episode 2: you are gordan freeman traveling the forest to close the portal of the combineCounter strike: basically an online shooter gamePortal: a puzzle game where you are a test-subject solving intense testsPortal 2: the sequel of portal where you are the test subject solving extreme tests and traveling the entire facility to survive.

if you want more detailed information than look at my profile and see my recomnedations

Black Mesa is a well-done remake of the original Half-Life. It's well worth playing. If you play it before or after HL2, it won't matter much. The game isn't big on "major plot point spoiler" stuff, it's just a linear progression of events.

I say "just" as though that's all it is, but it's such a well-done story that it's worth experiencing all of it, even if you don't do it in order. Do play HL2, HL2: Episode 1, and HL2: Episode 2 in that order.

Counter-Strike, Team Fortress (Classic and 2), and Day of Defeat are all Source Engine games/mods, but they have nothing to do with the HL universe at all. Portal takes place in the same universe, but the events have only passing interaction with one another. It's fun to know they're in the same universe, but it's not crucial.